DALLAS COWBOYSBiggest bang for the buck - WR Dez Bryant ($2,926,000 cap hit): The Cowboys are counting on Bryant to put it all together in his fourth NFL season. At 24, he's coming off career highs in every major statistical receiving category. Outlook: Though QB Tony Romo has been the poster boy for recent season-ending flameouts of America's Team, Jerry Jones seems to have more faith in his pricey passer than some of the team's other elements. Make no mistake, more is expected of newly minted Romo (he received a six-year, $108 million extension in March) on and off the field. But he needs help from new playcaller Bill Callahan, must hope heretofore brittle RB DeMarco Murray can elevate a 31st-ranked run game and pray that a defense that has faded under the bright lights is rejuvenated under new coordinator Monte Kiffin, who is stressing more takeaways and a stingier mindset with the installation of his time-tested Tampa 2 scheme. If the troops don't rally around Romo, expect another .500 effort and perhaps a pink slip for coach Jason Garrett.Prediction: 8-8

NEW YORK GIANTSBiggest bang for the buck - DE Jason Pierre-Paul ($2,625,000 cap hit): Pierre-Paul's sack total dipped from 16½ in 2011 to 6½ in 2012. But the 24-year-old was battling a back injury that eventually required surgery, and renewed health should make a difference. Outlook: Last year's 9-7 team was statistically superior in many key areas to the 9-7 edition from 2011. One key difference: the collapsing Giants missed the playoffs in 2012, failing to defend their Super Bowl crown. Second-half swoons have become a perennial problem under coach Tom Coughlin, however this already banged-up team may be hard-pressed to stay afloat early in the face of a seemingly hazardous first-half schedule. But if speedy RB David Wilson can handle a heavy workload -- he'll have to with backup Andre Brown recovering from a broken leg -- both lines get healthy (JPP's surgery came in June) and a sometimes spotty secondary can tighten up without injured S Stevie Brown (torn ACL), the Giants have enough weapons to push back to the top of the division.Prediction: 9-7 (division winner)

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DENVER BRONCOS: With their 49-27defeat of the Ravens in Thursday's season opener, the Broncos have won 12 consecutive regular season games, the longest active streak in the NFL.
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NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: The Pats have won 23 of their past 25 games vs. the Buffalo Bills. A win this week would also be the Pats' 11th straight win vs. an AFC East opponent. TOM BRADY: Brady has a streak of his own going, having thrown a TD pass in 48 straight games. That's the 2nd-longest streak in NFL history, behind Drew Brees (54).
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STEVEN JACKSON: Making his Atlanta Falcons debut this week, Jackson has rushed for 1,000+ yards for eight seasons in row. That ties him for the 4th longest streak in NFL history.
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PIERRE GARÇON: The Redskins wide receiver has 10 catches for 252 yards (126 per game) and three touchdowns in his last two Monday Night Football appearances. He's aiming for his third MNF game in a row with 100+ yards and a TD.
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DEMARCO MURRAY: Over his career, when Murray has 18+ attempts in a game, the Dallas Cowboys have gone 9-0. Murray has 992 rush yards (110.2 per game) in those nine games.
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NEW YORK GIANTS: The Giants have gone 4-0 in their last four games against the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
ELI MANNING: The Giants QB has started 135 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NFL.
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CINCINNATI BENGALS: The Bengals have reached the postseason in consecutive seasons (2011-12) for 1st time since 1981-82. The club has won five of their last six games vs. NFC opponents on the road, and are 4-1 all-time at Chicago.
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PHILADELPHIA EAGLESBiggest bang for the buck - OLB Brandon Graham ($2,957,500 cap hit): Graham, 25, came into his own as a 4-3 end last season, albeit in a limited role. Can the former 2010 first-round pick stand up in a 3-4? If not, Graham the 2010 first-round pick figures to be headed elsewhere sooner rather than later.Outlook: The big reveal of new coach Chip Kelly's offense -- he's downplayed the creativity of an attack some predict could be revolutionary -- is one of the more anticipated subplots of the season. The Eagles played with quick tempo in preseason but kept the exotic wrinkles largely under wraps. They could be quite a headache to gameplan against early on. Despite the loss of WR Jeremy Maclin to a torn ACL, a healthy and highly athletic O-line could prove an underrated key to success. But the defense looms as an Achilles' heel. The secondary still looks like a sieve, especially on the back line, and a front switching from the 4-3 to 3-4 alignment appears to have some square pegs (LBs Trent Cole and DeMeco Ryans) in round holes. Philadelphia could be in trouble, especially after the novelty wears off.Prediction: 3-13

Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett smiles and celebrates with safety Barry Church (42) and defensive tackle Nick Hayden (96) after they returned a fumble for a touchdown in the third quarter against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium.
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San Francisco 49ers defensive back C.J. Spillman (27) celebrates with defensive back Raymond Ventrone (41) after the play against the Green Bay Packers on the kickoff return during the fourth quarter at Candlestick Park.
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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) gets sacked for a loss by New Orleans Saints linebacker Parys Haralson (98) during the third quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
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referee John Parry (132) rules a touchdown after reviewing a play as Detroit Lions running back Joique Bell (not pictured) scored a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings during the second quarter at Ford Field.
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Buffalo Bills quarterback EJ Manuel (3) runs to congratulate wide receiver Robert Woods (10) after throwing his first NFL touchdown to him during the second quarter against the New England Patriots at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
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New Orleans Saints strong safety Roman Harper (41) celebrates his fumble recover against the Atlanta Falcons during the second quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
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Denver Broncos tight end Julius Thomas (80) reacts with running back Knowshon Moreno (27) after scoring his first touchdown reception in the second quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
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Denver Broncos tight end Julius Thomas (80) is tackled by Baltimore Ravens safety James Ihedigbo (32) after catching a pass for a first down during the first half at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
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Baltimore Ravens fullback Vonta Leach (44) celebrates with tight end Dallas Clark (87) after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
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A general view of the scoreboard during a weather delay before the start of the game between the Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
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Tonya McCormick of Towson, Maryland, poses for a portrait with fellow Baltimore Ravens fans prior to the game against the Denver Broncos outside of Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
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WASHINGTON REDSKINSBiggest bang for the buck - QB Robert Griffin III ($4,799,795 cap hit): How could it be anyone else? Even as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 draft, Griffin exceeded expectations as a rookie until a knee injury felled him. He can hurt a defense a lot of ways.Outlook: It's worth wondering if RB Alfred Morris can churn out 1,600 more yards. Or if healthy returns by WR Pierre Garcon and OLB Brian Orakpo elevate a team that didn't have a Round 1 draft pick (and won't until 2015) and was again handcuffed in free agency as it paid the second half of a $36 million salary cap penalty levied in 2012. A horrid pass defense is relying on rookie DBs David Amerson and Bacarri Rambo. But put all that aside. The Redskins' fortunes hinge on how healthy RG3 is. He must get deeper into his reads rather than leave the pocket at the first sign of trouble while avoiding hazards that waylaid him too often in his otherwise spectacular rookie season when he is on the move. With no meaningful snaps since January, early season rust could be an issue for Griffin.Prediction: 9-7

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USA TODAY Sports already revealed its list of 2013's pivotal players in the AFC. New Cardinals QB Carson Palmer kicks off our NFC group. Now with his third team (and fourth offensive system) in four years, Palmer will have to adapt quickly to the style of new Arizona coach Bruce Arians if the team is to have any chance of being competitive in the NFC West, arguably the league's toughest division.
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RB Steven Jackson hasn't appeared in a playoff game since his 2004 rookie season, six years after his new team, Atlanta, reached its lone Super Bowl. The Falcons and their veteran sledgehammer hope to finally find rings with Jackson expected to inject life into a ground game that ranked 29th and averaged 3.7 yards per carry in 2012.
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Cam Newton has been an athletic marvel in his first two NFL seasons, accounting for 62 total TDs. But unlike fellow young guns Robert Griffin III, Colin Kaepernick, Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson, Newton hasn't led the Panthers to the playoffs. Carolina's fortunes will continue to ride on Newton's shoulders (and legs) even as he copes with the departure of offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski.
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Bears QB Jay Cutler is embarking on his fifth year in Chicago and hopes a payday is in the offing with his contract set to expire after the season. But the strong-armed slinger first has to grasp the playbook of new coach Marc Trestman, who's installing the fourth system Cutler has had to learn since coming to the Windy City.
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Cowboys LB Sean Lee (50) is coming off a season-ending toe injury and will now be the keystone to a defense transitioning to new coordinator Monte Kiffin's Cover 2 scheme. Lee and Co. will be expected to keep the points down while making the takeaway figure rise. (Naturally, Big D's D could use some help from RB DeMarco Murray (29) and a run game that finished 31st in 2012.))
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No team threw the ball more than the Lions in 2012. However free agent RB Reggie Bush should restore needed balance to the offense and ought to benefit from the double coverage WR Calvin Johnson will continue to demand and/or give Megatron (just 5 TDs last year) more breathing room by forcing defenses to respect his own game-breaking moves.
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Packers LT David Bakhtiari, a fourth-round pick last spring, was thrust into the lineup when Bryan Bulaga went down with a torn ACL in August. Bakhtiari's performance will partially determine if QB Aaron Rodgers is better protected after suffering a league-high 51 sacks in 2012.
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The Saints had a historically bad defense in 2012, surrendering a record 7,042 yards as the team fell to 7-9. New coordinator Rob Ryan (white hat) brings a pressure-based, 3-4 scheme in hopes of changing matters ... though his units in Dallas flopped at key times in recent years.
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Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul saw his sack total drop by 10 to 6.5 in 2012 -- and that was before undergoing offseason back surgery. A struggling defense, which lost DE Osi Umenyiora to free agency, needs JPP to return to form if New York is to climb back atop the NFC East.
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New coach Chip Kelly and his creative offense were the Eagles' most notable acquisitions this offseason. Kelly's ability to implement his attack is one of the NFL's biggest X-factors heading into the regular season, and he's banking on QB Michael Vick (7) to push the right buttons.
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Versatile DL Justin Smith often goes unheralded even though he may be the key component of the 49ers defense. He missed two of San Francisco's final five games after suffering a triceps injury last year and wasn't the same when he was on the field. Coincidentally, pass rusher Aldon Smith didn't record a sack after his teammate was hurt. Justin Smith remains the glue to the NFC champs' defense.
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Seahawks WR Golden Tate is no stranger to big plays (right, Packers fans?). He'll be counted on to keep stringing a few together while new WR Percy Harvin recovers from hip surgery.
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QB Josh Freeman has been up and down over his first four seasons with the Buccaneers. He better eliminate the lows in 2013 if he wants to lead Tampa Bay to the playoffs for the first time in his career and earn the contract extension that might keep rookie Mike Glennon, right, from taking his job.
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All eyes will be on QB Robert Griffin III and his surgically repaired right knee this season. The Redskins' fate will almost surely be determined by how well RG3 bounces back from his January surgery.
Carolyn Kaster, AP